Family tree trivia game

ABSTRACT

The “Family Tree Trivia Game” is conceived and designed to incorporate individual family history&#39;s into a customized board game format. It is a unique concept that customizes the game for each family ordering the game, through a process of interaction with the family. The family ordering the game submits a set of photographs that will be scanned and inlaid on the game board creating the path that family members participating in the game will follow throughout game play. The family also submits a questionaire and individual questions, and answers to those questions (relative to the family history and family members). These questions and answers are printed on “game cards” which are selected by the family members as they proceed through game play. Following the game instructions, players will systematically spell out the family Sir name to complete the game. Includes boxed customized game board, customized game cards, and game equipment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Claiming benefit of Provisional Patent Application, ApplicationNo. 60/240,036 with a filing receipt number of OC000000005687965 with afiling date of Oct. 16, 2000.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The field of endeavor to which this invention pertains isD21-900. It is a new invention and does not claim to improve on anyprior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The Family Tree Trivia Game is a board game conceptualized by theidea of continuing/nuturing the family heritage/lineage through theexchange of family history and information during the game process. Thegame board consist of pictures of the family along the outter edge withdirections or comments attached to each picture. The center of the boardcontains the Family Sir name. The game progesses as each player rolls adie and moves the indicated spaces. Players that land on a space thathas a direction the player should do what the space indicates. Theobject of the game is to land on sqaures that indicate that the playershould take a card. The cards are trivia cards with questions related tothier family history. Should the player answer the question correctlythey will then collect a tile with a letter from the sir name. Theplayers should continue in this manner until they have collected all theletters to spell out the sir name (and the word family (if needed) andthen they will proceed to the sir name in the center of the board to winthe game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Drawing #1 Black and White drawing of the game board layout.

[0007] Drawing #2 Black and White drawing of the letter tiles spellingout a sir name

[0008] Drawing #3 Black and White drawing of the personalized TriviaCards

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] “The Family Tree Trivia Game” is a board game conceptualized bythe idea of continuing/nuturing the family heritage/lineage through theexchange of family history and information during the game process. Eachgame is customized for the specific family ordering the game.

[0010] The game board is 22″×17.5″ in size when laid flat. The gameboard folds to a size of 11″×17.5″. The board is on 0.80 PC board withback wraps of black or colored leatherette. The inside of the board, thegame side (front label), is laid in (pasted/glued). The front label ofthe game board is customized to each family. The front label has acommon design of 30 rectangular frames that are placed side by sideencompass ing the outer edge of the front label. Each rectangular frameis in color and is broken down into two parts: (1) the upper approximate75% of the frame will display a family photo submitted by the familyordering the game (simple scanning process), and (2) the lowerapproximate 25% of the frame will consist of text with commentsreferencing the photo within the frame and/or an instruction withrespect to the game progression (i.e. take a card, move ahead twospaces, lose a turn, etc.). The center of the board dis plays, within adesigned framed rectangle, the family (sir) name. The board displayssixteen circular spaces that start from each inner corner space (4 each)of the outer rectangular frame below and smaller in size of the familyname rectangular box. This smaller rectangular box will have the wordstrivia cards placed in it. The balance of the board is a solid color.Once the front label has been customized it is attached to the gameboard. “SEE DRAWING #1

[0011] Each game consists of the customized game board, 6 playing pieces(tokens), one die, a set of plastic tiled style rectangles with letterson them that spell out the last name of the family (sir) name (and theword family if the family (sir) name is five letters of less), “SEEDRAWING #2 and 50 customized trivia cards (made of card stock paper andimprinted with the questions and answers provided by the fam ily). “SEEDRAWING #3

[0012] To start the game, each player places their playing piece (token)on the rectangular space that contains the words Start Here. Each playerrolls the die and the player with the highest number on the die goesfirst.

[0013] To play the game the player who goes first rolls the die andproceeds clockwise the number of spaces indicated on the die. The playerthen does what is shown in the text of the attached smaller rectangularsquare such as: Take a card, Move ahead, Lose a turn or does nothing ifthe text is just a misc. comment.

[0014] Once that player has completed their turn the next playerproceeds in the same fashion and the players continue in this fashionuntil the game is finished and a winner has been declared.

[0015] If the text of the space landed on by the player indicates thatthe player should take a card then the player should take the top cardfrom the trivia cards placed in the rectangle marked “trivia cards” andhand that card, face down, to the player on his right. The player on theright then reads the trivia question aloud and the player who's turn itis tries to answer the question. If the player can answer the questioncorrectly then he will take a tiled square letter of the last name aplace it in front of him/her and then his turn is complete. If theplayer can not answer the question than he/she does not get to take aletter and the players' turn is over.

[0016] The object of the game is to be declared the winner of the game.To be declared the winner a player must correctly answer enough triviaquestions to spell out the family name (and the word family if thefamily name is five letters or less) and then proceed to the center ofthe board from a corner space. The player must land on the centerrectangular space which contains the family (sir) name with a roll ofthe die that matches the exact number of spaces remaining to reach thefamily sir name rectangle.

[0017] The rules of the game are as follows on pages 6 and 7.

THE FAMILY TREE TRIVIA GAME

[0018] WELCOME TO THE EXCITING FAMILY GAME, CUSTOMIZED ECSPECIALLY FORYOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL FIND YOUR GAME A TRULY FUNAND REWARDING EXPERIENCE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. THIS GAME HAS BEENDESIGNED TO PROMOTE A STRONG FAMILY HISTORY AND PROVIDE A LEGACY FORYOUR FAMILY TO CARRY ON FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. IT IS OUR HOPE THATPLAYING THIS GAME WILL OPEN THE DOORS TO NUMEROUS FAMILY STORIES ANDHOURS OF FUN.

[0019] EQUIPMENT: Your game equipment consists of the customized gameboard, 6 playing pieces, one die, letters to spell out the sir name (andthe word family if needed) for each player, and 50 customized triviacards.

[0020] OBJECT: To be declared the winner a player must correctly answerenough trivia questions to spell out the family name (and the wordfamily if family name is under 5 letters), and then proceed to thecenter of the board from a corner space. The first player to reach thefamily name in the center of the board is declared the WINNER!

[0021] TO START: Place the playing pieces, ONE FOR EACH PLAYER, on the“Start Here” square. Each player rolls the die, with the highest numbergoing first to begin the game.

[0022] TO PLAY THE GAME: The player who goes first rolls the die andproceeds clockwise the number of spaces indicated on the die. The playerthen does what that space indicates, such as: Take a card, Move ahead,Lose a turn or simply nothing. Once he/she has completed this step,his/her turn has ended and the next player proceeds in the same manner.

[0023] TAKE A CARD: If a player lands on a space that indicates he/sheshould Take A Card, then the player should take the top card from theTrivia Question Cards and hand it, face down, to the player on theright. That player should then ask the player who selcted the card, thequestion displayed on the card. The player, whose turn it is, will tryand answer the question. If the player should answer the questioncorrectly, the player will then collect one (1) letter contained in thefamily sir name. If the player should not answer the question correctly,the players turn is over and the card should be placed aside to bere-shuffled if the need arises (re-shuffling will take place when thefinal question card has been used).

[0024] COLLECTING LETTERS: After a player has collected the letters tospell out their family name (and the word family if the sir name isunder 5 letters) the player beginning with their next turn should rollthe die in an attempt to reach a corner square (they must land on acorner sqaure by rolling the exact number to land on the corner square).From the corner square the player on his next turn will roll the dieuntil they have followed the circular spaces to the family name squarein the center of the board. The player must roll the exact number toland on the family name in the center of the board to be declared “THEWINNER”.

1. I claim that my invention is the idea and unique concept of theFamily Tree Trivia Game.
 2. I claim that my invention is the ornamentaldesign of the game board. I claim that the use of family photos used asspaces on the board is part of the design and a unique concept. I claimthat the use of the sir name in the center of the board is part of thedesign and a unique concept.
 3. I claim that my invention is theoriginal and unique concept of useing personlized trivia cards in thegame.
 4. I claim that my invention is the use of letter tiles to spellout the sir name and the word family (if needed depending on sir namelenght) as part of the game.
 5. I claim that the unique and originalrules of the game are part of my invention. I claim that the sequence ofthe rules are part of my invention. I claim that the sequence of therules are part of my invention and include: Start at the start blockRoll the die and move game pieces the number indicated on the die Playerto do what is said on the space landed on. If player lands on Take aCard space that player is to take a Family Trivia card (origninal andunique to the participating family.) If player answers personalizedtrivia question correctly they then collect a letter tile. Playerscontinue in such a manner until a player has collected all the tiles tospell out the family sir name and the word family (if needed—dependingon sir name lenght). Once a player has collected the appropriate tilesthen the player on thier turn rolls the die until by the exact number onthe die lets them land on the family sir name in the center of the boardin which they are declared the winner.
 6. I claim that the use of aquestionaire to gather information from families to perosnalize eachgame.